Prepare cookie dough: Place chocolate into a heatproof bowl and melt in double boiler. Set melted chocolate aside. Place flour, baking powder, spices, salt and pepper into a medium bowl and whisk to combine, setting aside.
Place butter and sugars into a large bowl. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat these ingredients together until light and fluffy. Crack eggs into a small bowl, whisk to combine, then add them to the wet mix, followed by the melted chocolate. Add the dry mixture little by little, mixing until the dough comes together.
Transfer dough to work surface, bringing it together by hand. Wrap and freeze for future use or, if baking same day, chill dough for 30 minutes.
For baking: Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
For imprint cookies: Place dough on lightly floured surface. Roll out to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Cut cookies into shapes using biscuit or cookie cutters. Transfer cookies to a parchment-lined baking tray. Using a cookie press, imprint each cookie with seasonal stencil. Transfer cookies to oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and transfer immediately to a wire rack to cool completely.
For decorated cookies: Place dough on lightly floured surface. Roll out to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Cut cookies into shapes using biscuit or cookie cutters. Transfer cookies to a parchment-lined baking tray and bake in oven for 8 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and immediately transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
To decorate: Place white chocolate into a heatproof bowl and melt in a double boiler. Transfer melted chocolate to a piping bag fitted with a #2 icing tip, or snip off the very end to create a small opening. Crush peppermint candy canes in food processor or purchase crushed peppermints.
Once cookies are cool, do a zig zag of chocolate across the top of each cookie followed by a sprinkle of the crushed candy cane.
Cool to set chocolate.
Cookies can be layered between sheets of parchment in an airtight storage container.
Chocolate Christmas Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies:
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup dark brown sugar, packed
6 ounces dark chocolate
2 eggs, room temperature
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ heaping teaspoon each cloves, allspice, nutmeg
¼ heaping teaspoon kosher salt
¼ heaping teaspoon black pepper
pinch of cayenne, optional
To decorate:
1½ cups white chocolate chips or discs, melted
½ cup crushed peppermint candy canes
Directions
Prepare cookie dough: Place chocolate into a heatproof bowl and melt in double boiler. Set melted chocolate aside. Place flour, baking powder, spices, salt and pepper into a medium bowl and whisk to combine, setting aside.
Place butter and sugars into a large bowl. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat these ingredients together until light and fluffy. Crack eggs into a small bowl, whisk to combine, then add them to the wet mix, followed by the melted chocolate. Add the dry mixture little by little, mixing until the dough comes together.
Transfer dough to work surface, bringing it together by hand. Wrap and freeze for future use or, if baking same day, chill dough for 30 minutes.
For baking: Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
For imprint cookies: Place dough on lightly floured surface. Roll out to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Cut cookies into shapes using biscuit or cookie cutters. Transfer cookies to a parchment-lined baking tray. Using a cookie press, imprint each cookie with seasonal stencil. Transfer cookies to oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and transfer immediately to a wire rack to cool completely.
For decorated cookies: Place dough on lightly floured surface. Roll out to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Cut cookies into shapes using biscuit or cookie cutters. Transfer cookies to a parchment-lined baking tray and bake in oven for 8 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and immediately transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
To decorate: Place white chocolate into a heatproof bowl and melt in a double boiler. Transfer melted chocolate to a piping bag fitted with a #2 icing tip, or snip off the very end to create a small opening. Crush peppermint candy canes in food processor or purchase crushed peppermints.
Once cookies are cool, do a zig zag of chocolate across the top of each cookie followed by a sprinkle of the crushed candy cane.
Cool to set chocolate.
Cookies can be layered between sheets of parchment in an airtight storage container.
Chocolate Christmas Cookies
5 / 5. 3
Chocolate cookies flavoured with fragrant spices, presented with one of two designs: a season-inspired imprint or a drizzle of white chocolate and dusting of crushed candy cane…
It’s a holiday baking exclusive! And these CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS COOKIES come complete with festive trimmings!
Not only are these two-bite spiced chocolate cookies easy to make, they’re also very tasty. Consider this holiday cookie recipe as a gift from us to you. You can make the simple version enhanced with the imprint of a seasonal stencil. Another option is to follow our tips on the upgraded cookies decorated with a drizzle of white chocolate and a dusting of crushed peppermint candy canes. One thing’s for sure, you and all your friends and family are all in for a big treat. These CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS COOKIES are soon to be a sweet annual tradition.
Before sharing a few tips on making them, how about an invitation to make even more scrumptious holiday confections and treats? Simply click HERE to view our collection of more than 20 stellar HOLIDAY COOKIE RECIPES. We also have some superior holiday dessert ideas too! Try this GINGERBREAD UPSIDE DOWN CAKE, this classic STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING and our famously festive CRANBERRY COBBLER complete with a hot Grand Mariner sauce.
Seeing this is a holiday post, how about a few additional links? Head HERE for our ESSENTIAL HOLIDAY RECIPES, a collection of everything from DRY-BRINED TURKEY and GLAZED HAM to sensational salads, side dishes and desserts. We’re so glad you dropped in for a visit; we’ve got all your holiday recipe needs covered.
Now back to these CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS COOKIES. Here are a few tips on making them:
INGREDIENTS
Put your hand up if, like me, you try your best to avoid last-minute shopping trips during the bustling holiday season. Good news – we crafted this simple cookie recipe using readily available ingredients. Hurray! No last-minute jaunts to the grocery store to track down an elusive or unusual ingredient. From unbleached all-purpose flour, assorted spices and baking powder to large eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar and butter, we’re hoping these are items you already have in your pantry and fridge.
The one ingredient that may require special consideration is dark chocolate. We opted for dark instead of unsweetened cocoa powder to build that real chocolate flavour. When purchasing, we suggest buying a premium dark chocolate that contains 78% cacao or greater. We used dark chocolate containing 90% cacao and could not be happier with the results. Here’s a chocolate nutritional information fun fact: chocolate with a higher percentage of cacao is healthy! What? It’s generally healthier because it contains more nutrients and fewer additives than chocolate at a lower percentage. As the cacao percentage increases, the chocolate contains less sugar, but more powder and cocoa butter. So these may well be the healthiest CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS COOKIES ever, LOL!
FRAGRANT SPICES
One of the hallmarks of these unique chocolate cookies is how the spice blend enhances the chocolate notes. Similar to GINGERBREAD SPICED COOKIES, we added pleasing quantities of grated cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. We also added a pinch of cayenne pepper, which is optional, and fear not, it won’t make the cookies fiery or too spicy. The cayenne is an excellent compliment to the other spices once combined with the kosher salt and black pepper.
COOKIE DOUGH
Making the cookie dough for this recipe is dead simple. First, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set on a double boiler. Once the chocolate is melted, set it aside to cool. While the chocolate cools, stir or whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. You can set the dry flour mixture to the side for a moment as well. Pro tip: Watch the VIDEO attached to this recipe where we stress our direction to measure heaping teaspoon portions for all the spices.
The third element of the cookie dough is the wet ingredients; butter at room temperature, eggs, granulated sugar and dark brown sugar. Place the butter and sugars into the bowl of a stand mixer, if using, and add the paddle attachment. We found a hand mixer in a large bowl worked well too and was much less unwieldy. The last step with these ingredients is to incorporate the cooled melted chocolate, then add the dry mix little by little.
The finished cookie dough might not look like much, but trust us, it is. Sure, there are no chunks of chopped nuts or morsels of chocolate chips, dried fruit or sprinkles, but this holiday cookie recipe still delivers. It’s all about the rich, spiced chocolate flavour. One very important step: if you plan to bake the cookies the same day in batches, wrap the portion of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling it out. That time in the fridge chills the chocolate and butter and creates a malleable cookie dough.
FREEZE ME!
Now, the really good news: this cookie dough can be frozen. Putting portions of the dough in the freezer allows you to thaw the dough and then bake off cookies when needed throughout the festive season. The yield on this cookie recipe is, wait for it, 96 cookies(!). We divided the dough in two, used one half for this post and froze the other half, just to have at the ready. Then I just thaw out the dough and bake off the cookies as needed, and as requested. There’s nothing better than a cookie recipe that really goes the distance, and this one does just that.
COOKIE CUTTERS AND COOKIE PRESSES
We’re presenting you with two options on how to craft these cookies, details for each are listed down below and in the instructions. Regardless of which way you decide to make them, you will need a cookie cutter to create a pleasing, small shape. This is a much more uniform look and we found it easier to craft than shaping cookie dough balls by hand or using a cookie scoop. We used a 1-½ inch fluted biscuit cutter to make lovely 2-bite, circular cookies. That said, you can make this recipe using other shapes too, like squares, hearts, bells, and other seasonal shapes. We do suggest staying away from cutters with thinned-out points as the edges may burn in the oven. You’ll also notice we included a few cookie presses in the above image. Those will come in handy for the stencil-detailed Christmas cookies – read on.
IMPRINT COOKIES
The first option on how to craft CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS COOKIES is to detail them with the imprint of a festive stencil. If looking to purchase, search the phrase “cookie presses”. To use, start by rolling out the dough into a large circle or rectangle about ¼-inch thick. Then cut out the cookies using your chosen cookie cutter.
The final step is to transfer the cookies to a parchment paper-lined baking tray and then imprint the top of each cookie with the festive cookie press. We went with a snowflake motif because we had these presses at hand, but others will also work. Look for other holiday-related cookie presses such as pinecones, holly, bells, candy canes, Santas, snowmen and so on.
These cookies are then ready to be enjoyed once baked. After baking, cool the cookies on a wire rack. They’re a pleasant addition to a Christmas cookie baking tray, but we also like them served as an accompaniment to our MULLED WINE PUNCH or MOCHA HOT CHOCOLATE. Of course, you can also wrap them up in small cellophane bags. They make lovely gifts.
DECORATED COOKIES
Now, let’s say you really want to push your cookie decorating envelope by crafting something so charming it may be the first cookie to disappear from your festive holiday cookie platter. Do this!
Roll out the dough and cut your cookie shape. Now instead of imprinting the cookies, simply bake them off plain. We know some of you will ask, “Can I bake the cookies off in advance, freeze them and then decorate later?” You bet you can! Simply defrost the frozen cookies and decorate away. I also expect a whole bunch of readers will add this cookie recipe to their “Decorate cookies with the kids” list.
When it came to decorating these chocolatey spice cookies, we opted for a powerhouse flavour combination: white chocolate and candy canes. You’ll need to melt the white chocolate chips in a double boiler then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a #2 icing tip, or trim away the very tip of the piping bag. Then it’s a simple zig-zag of white chocolate over each cookie and a sprinkle of peppermint candy cane dust before the white chocolate sets. Gorgeous!
Similar to the plain imprint cookies, the decorated version also makes a lovely gift. For best results, pack them up between sheets of parchment paper in an airtight storage container. Bring them to a cookie exchange and, trust us, everyone will have their eyes on these seasonal treats.
THE SPICE IS RIGHT!
Seeing as it’s the holidays and all, I thought I’d share some suggestions for holiday gifts. How about stocking stuffers? Just in time for the holidays, our three SPICE BLEND GIFT SETS are now available in Canada on Amazon.ca!
VEGGIE LOVERS (2-pack) – A packet of our POTATO & VEGGIE SEASONING plus a package of our GARLICKY SUN-DRIED TOMATO DIP; just add mayo and sour cream and you’ve got a delicious party dip. Go HERE to order.
MEAT LOVERS (2-pack) – A packet of POULTRY & PORK RUB plus a package of our BUTCHER’S BLEND. Go HERE to order.
WEEKEND ESSENTIALS: The whole shebang, 1 packet of everything! A packet of POULTRY & PORK RUB, BUTCHER’S BLEND, POTATO & VEGGIE SEASONING and a GARLICKY SUN-DRIED TOMATO DIP. Go HERE to order.
This holiday cookie is so fantastic, we suggest you PIN the recipe to a favourite holiday baking or cookie board on PINTEREST or BOOKMARK this tab for easy access. SHARE it with friends so they can make them too. We’d also appreciate seeing pics of all the delicious treats you’re making these days. Use #weekendatthecottage when you post those pics on Facebook and Instagram. Thanks!
A cross between spiced cookies and mint chocolate peppermint patties, these CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS COOKIES are fantastically festive. Enjoy!
Cook Mode Use cook mode to keep your screen on while cooking.
Ingredients
For the cookies:
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup dark brown sugar, packed
6 ounces dark chocolate
2 eggs, room temperature
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ heaping teaspoon each cloves, allspice, nutmeg
¼ heaping teaspoon kosher salt
¼ heaping teaspoon black pepper
pinch of cayenne, optional
To decorate:
1½ cups white chocolate chips or discs, melted
½ cup crushed peppermint candy canes
Directions
Prepare cookie dough: Place chocolate into a heatproof bowl and melt in double boiler. Set melted chocolate aside. Place flour, baking powder, spices, salt and pepper into a medium bowl and whisk to combine, setting aside.
Place butter and sugars into a large bowl. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat these ingredients together until light and fluffy. Crack eggs into a small bowl, whisk to combine, then add them to the wet mix, followed by the melted chocolate. Add the dry mixture little by little, mixing until the dough comes together.
Transfer dough to work surface, bringing it together by hand. Wrap and freeze for future use or, if baking same day, chill dough for 30 minutes.
For baking: Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
For imprint cookies: Place dough on lightly floured surface. Roll out to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Cut cookies into shapes using biscuit or cookie cutters. Transfer cookies to a parchment-lined baking tray. Using a cookie press, imprint each cookie with seasonal stencil. Transfer cookies to oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and transfer immediately to a wire rack to cool completely.
For decorated cookies: Place dough on lightly floured surface. Roll out to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Cut cookies into shapes using biscuit or cookie cutters. Transfer cookies to a parchment-lined baking tray and bake in oven for 8 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and immediately transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
To decorate: Place white chocolate into a heatproof bowl and melt in a double boiler. Transfer melted chocolate to a piping bag fitted with a #2 icing tip, or snip off the very end to create a small opening. Crush peppermint candy canes in food processor or purchase crushed peppermints.
Once cookies are cool, do a zig zag of chocolate across the top of each cookie followed by a sprinkle of the crushed candy cane.
Cool to set chocolate.
Cookies can be layered between sheets of parchment in an airtight storage container.
Until Cottage Season
